La Seine, fickle star of the Paris Olympics

PARIS, Aug 11 (AFP): The River Seine was the fickle star of the Paris Olympics, taking centre stage at the opening ceremony and open water swimming and triathlon events despite a running saga over water quality.

It was under torrential rain that the Seine appeared before millions of viewers around the world on July 26 for a cheeky and controversial opening ceremony.

"Dantesque conditions," was how Games chief Tony Estanguet summed up the unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony, the first to take place outside the main stadium.

"Organising a ceremony on the Seine is not easier than doing it in a stadium... but it has more punch," Estanguet said.

"It is the spirit of Paris which has mingled with the Olympic spirit," said ceremony artistic director Thomas Jolly.

Winding its way through the centre of Paris, past famed attractions such as the Invalides, Place de la Concorde, and the Grand Palais, the river sparkled.

It was a route deliberately chosen to showcase the beauty of Paris.

It was also politically symbolic: swimming has been banned in the Seine since 1923 but various Paris mayors have vowed to clean it up.